Article: Sulasā

Along with Revatī, Sulasā is named as joint leader of Jain lay women under the Jina Mahāvīra in the fifth-century Kalpa-sutra.

Sulasā is one of the 16 satīs – soḷ satī – and is included in the longer satī lists as well. Sulasā is the best known of the satīs who remain lay women their whole lives. The story of her life forms part of most collections of satī narratives.

Sulasā is named in the Āvaśyaka-sūtra and the earliest version of her story appears in Jinadāsa's Āvaśyaka-cūrnī. Her story is widely included in collections of sermons and retold in contemporary sermons.

Story of Sulasā

Sulasā and her husband, Nāga, could not have children. One day Nāga told Sulasā about his fears that he would die without a son and thus his soul would be bound for hell.

Sulasā gave him a lecture on Jain dharma. She reminded him of the teaching that one's own virtuous acts are the only way to prevent a rebirth in hell and that having sons to perform one's funeral, as in Hindu belief, makes no difference.

When Nāga remained unconvinced, Sulasā suggested that he take a second wife. He told her that he could not because he had vowed to have only one wife. Then Sulasā said that they should just be good Jains.

One day the god Hariṇaigameṣin came to Sulasā's house posing as a Jain monk on his alms rounds, and after seeing her religious dedication he offered her a boon. Sulasā asked for a son for her husband.

Sulasā conceived thirty-two sons, but she was told that they would all die on the same day. When they grew up they were guards for King Írenik and, as foretold, they all died in battle.

Nāga was desolate but Sulasā told him that he should simply focus on liberation.

Sulasā rededicated herself to religion and was later singled out by Mahāvīra as the ideal lay woman.

Sulasā later died and went to heaven. She will be reborn as the 15th Jina, Nirmama-swāmī, in the next ascending cycle of time.

References in Jain writings

The story of Sulasā has been popular since its first appearance in early Jain texts. Collected as part of the stories detailing the virtuous lives of the satī, Sulasā's exemplary life has also appeared in sermons and anthologies of Jain moral tales.

The name of Sulasā appears in the Āvaśyaka-sūtra. The Āvaśyaka-cūrnī of Jinadāsa contains the earliest telling of Sulasā's story.

A variant appears in the Antakṛddaśaḥ. Here Sulasā is the wife of the merchant Nāga and is fated to only have still-births. She worships Hariṇaigameṣin, who exchanges six of the sons of Devāī, wife of Vāsudeva, for Sulasā's still-born children. Later Sulasā's six sons become monks under the JinaMahāvīra. This variant is not reproduced widely.

The story of Sulasā is included in medieval narrative collections such as Śubhaśila-gaṇi's 15th-century Bharateśvar Bāhubalī Vṛttiḥ and in Jain universal history narrative collections like the 12th-century work Trī-ṣaṣṭi-śalāka-puruṣa-caritram by Hemacandra.

Sulasā's story appears in the popular 18th-century collection of sermons, the Upadeśaprasāda, as an example of the futility of brahminicalrites. Her example is frequently found in sermon collections and is also often used in contemporary sermons.

Glossary

Food, money, medicine, clothing or anything else given to another person as a religious or charitable act. Asking for and giving alms is a significant part of Jainism, as it forms a daily point of contact between lay people and mendicants. Seeking, donating and receiving alms are highly ritualised ceremonies in the Jain tradition, and spiritual purity is essential for both giver and recipient. Giving alms is a way for lay Jains to gain merit – puṇya.

Follower of the majority faith in India and an adjective describing something belonging to Hinduism. Hindus have numerous gods and diverse beliefs and practices, though many believe in the soul, karma, the cycle of births and liberation. Roughly a billion Hindus comprise the third largest religion in the world.

A 'victor' in Sanskrit, a Jina is an enlightened human being who has triumphed over karma and teaches the way to achieve liberation. A synonym for Tīrthaṃkara, which means 'ford-maker' or one who has founded a community after reaching omniscience through asceticism. The most famous 24 – Ṛṣabha to Mahāvīra – were born in the Bharata-kṣetra of the middle world, but more are found in other continents. There have been Jinas in the past and there will be some in the future.

The 24th Jina of the present age. His symbolic colour is yellow and his emblem the lion. Mahāvīra or 'the great hero' is his title. His birth name was Vardhamāna, meaning 'ever increasing'. His existence is historically documented but the two main sects of Digambara and Śvetāmbara Jains have slight differences in their accounts of his life.

A man who has taken a public vow to withdraw from ordinary life to formally enter religious life and advance spiritually. Frequently, monks perform physical austerities or undergo physical hardships in order to progress spiritually.

A sequence of actions that must be followed to perform a religious ceremony. The set of actions is largely symbolic, for example offering food to statues symbolises sacrificing to a deity. The ritual actions are often accompanied by set phrases.

'Virtuous woman', who is worshipped for her admirable qualities. Satīs demonstrate religious devotion and loyalty to husbands and family, especially in difficult times. Some satīs renounce to become nuns while others remain householders. There are many satīs but there is a group of Sol Satī or 16 satī who are particularly venerated by Śvetāmbara Jains.